Life after law school 2016

Life After Law School A Pilot Study Examining Long-Term Outcomes Associated with Graduating Law School and the Value of Legal Education

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INTRODUCTION

Many policymakers and leaders have been paying close attention in recent years to the near-term job placement and earnings of law school graduates, which they often declare are representative of the “value” of a law degree. Such a focus on the economic payoff of a law degree is understandable because legal education has become a more costly and leveraged endeavor. While such metrics have merit, they do not provide a holistic view of graduates’ lives or the broader benefits that legal education provides.

In 2015, AccessLex InstituteSM commissioned Gallup to conduct a pilot study of law school graduates to better understand the overall value of a law degree and determine how law school experiences affect the lives and careers of law school alumni. To measure these outcomes, Gallup interviewed the alumni of seven law schools to understand their perspectives on their law school experiences and evaluate the influence of their legal education on their postgraduate outcomes. Gallup also compared these law school graduates’ opinions with law school graduates interviewed via the Gallup-Purdue Index at the national level.

Gallup and Purdue University initially created the Gallup-Purdue Index to examine the long-term success of college graduates and provide insights into the relationship between the college experience and whether graduates have great jobs and great lives after college. AccessLex wanted to test whether a similar approach would be useful in gaining a better understanding of the outcomes of law school graduates and the value of a legal degree. Seven law schools located in the Southeastern U.S. agreed to participate in the initial data collection: Campbell Law School, Elon Law, Mississippi College School of Law, Nova Southeastern

University (NSU) Shepard Broad College of Law, Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law, University of Richmond School of Law and Vanderbilt Law School.

This study explores the topics of well-being, employee engagement and the law school experience in an effort to evaluate the long-term outcomes of a law school degree and the experiences most frequently linked to greater success in these areas. While this subset of law schools does not fully represent all law schools nationally, this initial study provides insights into how law school experiences relate to post-law school outcomes of the alumni of schools included in the study. The data from the subset of schools are also useful in broader conversation about the value of legal education.

GREAT JOBS: WORKPLACE ENGAGEMENT

Workplace engagement is more than job satisfaction. It involves employees being intellectually and emotionally connected with their organizations and work teams because they are able to do what they’re best at, they like what they do at work and they have someone who cares about their development at work.

I NTRODUCTION

3

Gallup’s expertise on engagement in the workplace is rooted in more than 30 years of research on the 12 elements that best predict employee and workgroup performance.

Financial Well-Being: Effectively managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security

Based on responses to questions that measure the 12 elements, Gallup categorizes workers as engaged, not engaged or actively disengaged. People who are engaged at work are more involved in and enthusiastic about their work.

They are loyal and productive. Those who are not engaged may be productive and satisfied with their workplaces, but they are not intellectually and emotionally connected to them. Workers who are actively disengaged are physically present but intellectually and emotionally disconnected.

They are unhappy with their work, share their unhappiness with their colleagues and are likely to jeopardize the performance of their teams.

Community Well-Being: The sense of engagement you have with the areas where you live, liking where you live, and feeling safe and having pride in your community

Recent Gallup research shows that only 30 percent of Americans are engaged in their jobs, meaning the U.S. workplace is missing out on staggering amounts of economic benefit that come from more engaged workforces.

These results present higher education institutions — and law schools in particular — with an opportunity to guide their students toward not only lucrative employment, but also engaging, purposeful careers.

GREAT LIVES: WELL-BEING

Well-being is not only about being happy or wealthy, nor is it only synonymous with physical health. Rather, it is about the interaction and interdependency between many aspects of life, such as finding fulfillment in daily work and interactions, having strong social relationships and access to the resources people need, feeling financially secure, being physically healthy and taking part in a true community.

Gallup and Healthways developed the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being 5 View to measure these important aspects.

This survey, based on findings from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index and years of joint research, asks 10 questions that gauge well-being in five elements: Purpose Well-Being: Liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals Social Well-Being: Having strong and supportive relationships and love in your life 4

I NTRODUCTION

Physical Well-Being: Having good health and enough energy to get things done on a daily basis Gallup categorizes people’s well-being in each of the elements as “thriving,” “struggling” and “suffering,” based on their responses. Those who are thriving are strong, consistent and progressing, while those who are struggling are moderate or inconsistent. Those who are suffering are at high risk.

Understanding how people think about and experience their lives is one of the first steps in determining the appropriate interventions that organizations, communities and higher education institutions need to take to solve their biggest challenges. This research has the ability to provide law schools with insights on how to improve the lives of current students in the key areas that are within their control. Law schools can help their students achieve well-being goals that are ultimately more fulfilling than income alone.

GREAT EXPERIENCES: ATTENDING LAW SCHOOL

This study and the resulting report provide valuable insights into the value of a law school degree from the perspective of alumni from all seven participating AccessLex member law schools. This survey includes items that measure graduates’ levels of emotional support while in law school and their current connection with their law school. Together with AccessLex, Gallup also developed customized questions to better understand the effectiveness of each law school’s career services office, whether alumni had a job or internship that allowed them to apply what they were

learning in law school while enrolled, and what leadership, research and legal work experience they had while attending their law school. Jointly developed with AccessLex, these items allow for a more comprehensive evaluation of the quality of the law school experience.

•• Graduate degree holders interviewed via the national Gallup-Purdue Index as other graduate degree holders nationally, which includes those who participated in the national study and reported they have a postgraduate degree, but excludes those who have a J.D. degree

GREAT EXPECTATIONS: WAS LAW SCHOOL WORTH IT?

Because law school graduates invested a significant amount of time and money in obtaining their J.D. degree, it is important to measure whether they think their law school experience was valuable. To evaluate this, Gallup and AccessLex asked law school graduates whether they would still get a law degree if provided the chance to do it all over again, and whether they think their law degree was worth the cost.

NATIONAL COMPARISONS

For the purposes of this report, data from participating law schools’ J.D. graduates, referred to as AccessLex study participants, are compared with data collected from respondents who hold a J.D., bachelor’s or graduate degree as their highest earned credential within the national Gallup-Purdue Index study of college graduates. Some differences may exist between the national comparison points included in this report and national estimates that Gallup has previously released. These graduates participated in the national Gallup-Purdue Index study conducted from Dec. 16, 2014-June 29, 2015.

This report refers to: •• J.D. holders interviewed via the national Gallup-Purdue Index as J.D. holders nationally •• Bachelor’s degree holders interviewed via the national Gallup-Purdue Index as bachelor’s degree holders nationally, which includes those who participated in the national study and reported they have a bachelor’s degree only from a Title IV degree-granting four-year public, private, for-profit or nonprofit institution in the U.S. as defined by the U.S. Department of Education

Because the national Gallup-Purdue Index study did not include items specific to the law school experience, results that are specific to the law school experience are limited to AccessLex study participants only. This report presents key findings of the study. In some cases, reported frequencies may not add up to 100% because of rounding.

Demographically, the sample of AccessLex study participants is similar to that of J.D. holders nationally, but skews slightly more male. The AccessLex J.D. graduate group is 65 percent male, compared with 60 percent in the national sample. The average age of the AccessLex alumni sample is 46, compared with an average age of 49 for J.D. holders from the national Gallup-Purdue Index.

Figure 1

ACCESSLEX STUDY PARTICIPANTS

J.D. HOLDERS NATIONALLY

Male

65%

60%

Female

35%

40%

46

49

DEMOGRAPHICS

Mean age

I NTRODUCTION

5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Gallup and AccessLex Institute pilot study provides important insights for educators, employers, law school alumni and prospective students about the factors that contribute to great jobs, lives and experiences for law school graduates, particularly those who attended the participant law schools. The study included more than 7,000 law school graduates from seven participating law schools located in the Southeastern U.S.

Among other notable insights from this study, AccessLex study participants have been successful in gaining employment, with 72 percent reporting that they work full time for an employer. This is higher than the rates for J.D. holders (66 percent), other graduate degree holders (56 percent) and bachelor’s degree holders (56 percent) nationally.

However, the data show that it is more challenging for AccessLex study participants who obtained their law degree from 2010-2015 than for graduates from earlier years to obtain a good job upon graduation from their law degree program. Respondents were asked about how long it took for them to obtain what they perceive as a “good job” upon graduation. Slightly less than half (48 percent) of AccessLex study participants who received their degree from 20002015 say they had a “good job” waiting for them after they completed their law degree, compared with more than 60 percent of graduates in earlier decades. Recent graduates are also less likely than graduates from earlier decades to say that their law school prepared them well for their career (35 percent vs. 48 percent or more). On the other hand, ratings of the helpfulness of career service offices at these schools are higher among more recent graduates than among graduates in earlier decades, suggesting that while perceptions of career services have improved, law 6

EXECUTIVE SU M MARY

schools might need to re-evaluate their strategies to help graduates find jobs more quickly given the current job market conditions.

But simply having a job is not enough. Engaged workers are essential to the organizations for which they work.

They are more loyal, more productive and more profitable than those who are not engaged or are actively disengaged.

About half (49 percent) of employed AccessLex study participants are engaged in their work, regardless of whether they are practicing law. This is higher than the rates at the national level for J.D. holders (45 percent), other graduate degree holders (44 percent) and bachelor’s degree holders (38 percent).

Fourteen percent of AccessLex study participants are thriving in all five areas of well-being, similar to the 13 percent of J.D. holders nationally. At the national level, J.D. holders and other graduate degree holders are more likely than those with solely a bachelor’s degree to be thriving in all five elements of well-being. AccessLex study participants outperformed national averages for J.D. holders and other graduate degree holders in the area of community well-being; this means AccessLex participants are more engaged in the areas where they live. However, AccessLex study participants are less likely to be thriving in

the area of financial well-being (45 percent) compared with J.D. holders (49 percent) and other graduate degree holders (51 percent) nationally.

Twelve percent of AccessLex study participants strongly agree that they had each of three support experiences while attending law school: having professors who cared about them as people, at least one professor who made them excited about learning and a mentor who encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams. This level of support is equal to the 12 percent of bachelor’s degree holders nationally who felt supported while obtaining their undergraduate degree. However, AccessLex graduates distinguish themselves in the area of excitement about learning. AccessLex study participants are more likely than bachelor’s degree holders nationally to recall having at least one professor who made them excited about learning in law school.

Graduates who strongly agree that they participated in an internship or job that allowed them to apply what they were learning in the classroom during law school are 1.4 times more likely to report that they had a good job waiting for them when they graduated than are their peers who strongly disagree that they had this valuable experience. The odds of employed AccessLex study participants being engaged at work are 2.7 times higher if they recall both feeling supported and having a job or internship where they could apply what they were learning in the classroom.

Slightly less than half (48 percent) of AccessLex study participants strongly agree that if they could go back and do it all over again, they would still get a law degree.

AccessLex study participants who are currently practicing law are equally as likely as graduates who are not practicing law to strongly agree that they would still get a law degree if they could go back and do it all over again. Recent AccessLex study participants are less likely than graduates from earlier decades to strongly agree that they would still get their law degree if they could go back and do it all over again: 37 percent strongly agree among recent (2000-2015)

graduates, versus 54 percent among 1980-1999 graduates and 68 percent among 1960-1979 graduates. However, these results could also reflect that more recent graduates have had less time to realize the value of their law degree than alumni who received their law degrees earlier.

ESSENTIAL FINDINGS GREAT JOBS: WORKPLACE ENGAGEMENT

•• The employment rate for AccessLex study participants outpaces the employment rate among J.D. holders, other graduate degree holders and bachelor’s degree holders nationally. Seventy-two percent of AccessLex study participants are working full time for an employer, compared with 66 percent of J.D. holders nationally.

•• Nearly half (49 percent) of employed AccessLex study participants are engaged at work — meaning they are intellectually and emotionally connected to their work; Gallup’s research shows that this results in higher productivity and more success.

•• Despite a competitive job market, more than 80 percent of AccessLex study participants who received their degrees in the last 15 years are working full time for an employer.

GREAT LIVES: WELL-BEING

•• Fourteen percent of AccessLex study participants are thriving in all five elements of well-being, on par with J.D. holders and other graduate degree holders nationally.

•• Among all five elements of well-being, AccessLex study participants are more likely than J.D. holders, other graduate degree holders and bachelor’s degree holders nationally to be thriving in community well-being.

Fifty-seven percent of AccessLex study participants are thriving in this element, meaning they are engaged with the area where they live, like where they live, feel safe and have pride in their community.

•• Fewer AccessLex study participants than J.D. holders nationally are thriving in the area of financial wellbeing. This difference could be related to the higher amount of student loans AccessLex study participants report borrowing for law school — an average of $86,000 — compared with J.D. holders nationally, who borrowed an average of $82,000 to complete their law degree.

EXECUTIVE SU M MARY

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GREAT EXPERIENCES: ATTENDING LAW SCHOOL

•• It seems more challenging for law school graduates to have what they judge to be a good job waiting for them after graduation. Gallup asked respondents how long it took them to obtain a “good job” after receiving their law degrees. Thirty-eight percent of AccessLex study participants who obtained their law degree from 20102015 report that they had a good job waiting for them.

This is lower than the 70 percent of those who say they had a good job waiting for them and graduated between 1960 and 1969, and the 56 percent of those who say the same and graduated between 1990-2009.

•• Though AccessLex study participants increasingly rate their career services office as helpful, recent graduates report greater challenges in finding a good job upon graduation, highlighting the need for these offices to further evolve.

•• Compared with AccessLex study participants who obtained their law degrees in earlier decades, recent graduates are less likely to strongly agree that their law school prepared them well for their careers. This could be attributed to the lower percentages of recent graduates reporting that they had a good job waiting for them when they graduated.

•• AccessLex study participants who recall feeling supported while attending law school are more likely to report that they obtained a good job quickly after graduation. Sixty-six percent of those who say they felt supported had a good job waiting for them upon graduation, which is much higher than the 36 percent who say they did not feel supported. In fact, 23 percent of graduates who did not recall feeling supported took over a year to find a good job.

•• Certain law school experiences are associated with quicker job placement. AccessLex study participants who had leadership experiences or summer internships or clerkships in the legal field were more likely to have a good job waiting for them than their peers who did not have these experiences.

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EXECUTIVE SU M MARY

GREAT EXPECTATIONS: WAS LAW SCHOOL WORTH IT?

•• Engagement at work is linked to self-reported academic success, but has a stronger relationship with other law school experiences, such as receiving emotional support and participating in internships or jobs that allowed students to apply what they learned in the classroom.

•• Regardless of whether they are practicing law, about half (49 percent practicing and 46 percent not practicing) of AccessLex study participants strongly agree that they would still get a law degree if they could go back and do it all over again.

•• Thirty-nine percent of AccessLex study participants strongly agree that their law degree was worth the cost; however, this percentage varies significantly by the total loan amounts graduates accumulated to procure their law degree and how recently they obtained it.

GREAT JOBS

WORKPLACE ENGAGEMENT

AccessLex study participants are employed at a higher rate than all comparison groups nationally.

Seventy-two percent of AccessLex study participants are employed full time for an employer, compared with 66 percent of J.D. holders, 56 percent of other graduate degree holders and 56 percent of bachelor’s degree holders nationally. AccessLex study participants and J.D. graduates nationally are also less likely than bachelor’s degree holders and other graduate degree holders nationally to report not being in the workforce.

ACCESSLEX STUDY PARTICIPANTS

J.D. HOLDERS NATIONALLY

OTHER GRADUATE DEGREE HOLDERS NATIONALLY

Employed full time (employer)

72%

66%

56%

56%

Employed full time (self)

11%

8%

4%

4%

Employed part time, do not want full time

5%

8%

12%

10%

Unemployed

1%

2%

2%

4%

Employed part time, want full time

2%

6%

4%

5%

Not in workforce

8%

11%

22%

21%

Figure 2 EMPLOYMENT STATUS

BACHELOR'S DEGREE HOLDERS NATIONALLY

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Despite a competitive job market and recovering economy in the U.S., recent AccessLex study participants have been successful in finding work.

Eighty-one percent of graduates who received their J.D. degree from 2010-2015 are employed full time for an employer, as are 83 percent of graduates who received their law degree from 2000-2009.

Figure 3 YEAR OF GRADUATION 19801989

19901999

20002009

20102015

Employed full time (employer)

67%

75%

83%

81%

Employed full time (self)

17%

14%

8%

4%

Employed part time, do not want full time

7%

4%

2%

1%

Unemployed

0%

1%

1%

3%

Employed part time, want full time

2%

2%

2%

3%

Not in workforce

7%

5%

3%

8%

ACCESSLEX STUDY PARTICIPANT EMPLOYMENT STATUS

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

WOR KPLACE E NGAG E M E NT

9

Figure 4

Figure 5

CURRENT WORK SETTING (among AccessLex study participants who are practicing law)

Are you currently practicing law? (among graduates who are not retired) 18% NO

51%

Law firm

82% YES

AccessLex Study Participants

Solo practice State or local government Federal government Legal services or public defender

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Nearly all AccessLex study participants (98 percent) say they took the bar exam. Among AccessLex study participants who took the bar, 97 percent were admitted to one or more jurisdictions, while 2 percent were admitted to none. The vast majority of AccessLex graduates who are not retired (82 percent) are currently practicing law. More than three-quarters of those who are practicing law are working full time for an employer, while 13 percent are self-employed. About half of these graduates (51 percent) practice in a law firm, 18 percent work in a solo practice and 12 percent practice in a state or local government setting.

The most commonly selected description of current work area among those not currently practicing law is in the legal or public policy field (25 percent). Twenty-four percent of those who are not currently practicing law are retired.

The high employment rate among AccessLex study participants is bolstered by the fact that about half (49 percent) of the graduates who are working are engaged at work. Gallup’s research shows that workplace engagement is more than job satisfaction. It involves employees being intellectually and emotionally connected with their organizations and work teams because they are able to do what they are best at, they like what they do at work and they have someone who cares about their development at work.

10

WOR KPLACE E NGAG E M E NT

18% 12% 5% 2%

Nonprofit 1% Other

10%

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Figure 6

SIZE OF LAW FIRM (among AccessLex study participants who work in a law firm)

Small

56%

(1-50 employees)

Medium

(51-250 employees)

Large

(251 or more employees)

20%

24%

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Figure 7 ENGAGEMENT IN THE WORKPLACE (among graduates who are employed) 8%

10%

10%

49%

AccessLex Study Participants

43%

13%

45%

44%

J.D. Graduates Nationally

45%

ENGAGED

Other Graduate Degree Holders Nationally

Bachelor’s Degree Holders Nationally 49%

46%

NOT ENGAGED

38%

ACTIVELY DISENGAGED

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Those with an advanced credential beyond a bachelor’s degree are more likely to be engaged in their work than those with only a bachelor’s degree. At the national level, 45 percent of J.D. holders and 44 percent of other graduate degree holders are engaged at work, significantly higher than the 38 percent of bachelor’s degree holders who are engaged at work.

This higher level of engagement among AccessLex study participants and graduate degree holders nationally is important because engaged workers are vital to their organizations. Gallup workplace engagement studies show that business or work units that score in the top half of their organizations in employee engagement have nearly double the odds of success (based on a composite of financial, customer, retention, safety, quality, shrinkage and absenteeism metrics) of those in the bottom half.

Compared with bottom-quartile units, top-quartile units have: •• 10 percent higher customer loyalty/engagement •• 22 percent higher profitability •• 21 percent higher productivity •• 25 percent lower turnover for high-turnover companies (those with 60 percent or higher annualized turnover) •• 65 percent lower turnover for low-turnover companies (those with 40 percent or lower annualized turnover) •• 48 percent fewer safety incidents •• 28 percent less shrinkage •• 37 percent lower absenteeism •• 41 percent fewer safety incidents •• 41 percent fewer quality incidents (defects)

WOR KPLACE E NGAG E M E NT

11

Figure 8

FULFILLMENT AT WORK (among graduates who are employed)

% STRONGLY AGREE OTHER GRADUATE BACHELOR’S ACCESSLEX DEGREE DEGREE STUDY J.D. HOLDERS HOLDERS HOLDERS PARTICIPANTS NATIONALLY NATIONALLY NATIONALLY

I am deeply interested in the work that I do.

42%

44%

53%

38%

My job gives me the opportunity to do work that interests me.

44%

45%

52%

38%

I have the ideal job for me.

31%

29%

35%

26%

AccessLex study participants are also finding fulfillment in the work they do: 42 percent strongly agree that they are deeply interested in the work that they do, and 31 percent strongly agree that they have the ideal job for them.

AccessLex study participants are as likely as J.D. holders nationally to strongly agree that they are deeply interested in the work that they do, that their job gives them the opportunity to do work that interests them and that they have the ideal job for them.

Other graduate degree holders are more likely than AccessLex study participants and J.D. holders nationally to strongly agree that they are deeply interested in the work that they do, that their job gives them the opportunity to do work that interests them and that they have the ideal job for them. But AccessLex study participants and J.D. holders nationally exceed bachelor’s degree holders on each of these three measures.

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WOR KPLACE E NGAG E M E NT

Mentorship is positively linked to employee engagement in the workplace. Forty-six percent of AccessLex study participants who are engaged at work strongly agree that they have a mentor in their field, while just 5 percent of those who are actively disengaged strongly agree with this statement.

Although 18 percent of AccessLex study participants who are not retired report not practicing law, those who are not practicing are just as likely as their practicing peers to be engaged in their jobs and to strongly agree that their job is ideal for them. However, graduates who practice law are more likely to strongly agree that their job offers them the opportunity to do work that interests them (43 percent vs. 37 percent) and that they are deeply interested in their work (41 percent vs. 37 percent).

GREAT LIVES

WELL-BEING

Fourteen percent of AccessLex study participants are thriving in all five elements of well-being — purpose, social, financial, community and physical — compared with 9 percent of bachelor’s degree holders, 13 percent of J.D. holders and 15 percent of other graduate degree holders nationally.

Bachelor’s degree holders lag behind in each of the five elements compared with people with J.D. degrees or other graduate degrees nationally. J.D. holders nationally are just as likely as other graduate degree holders nationally to be thriving in social, financial and community well-being, but they trail other graduate degree holders in purpose and physical well-being.

participants could contribute to their lower financial wellbeing. AccessLex study participants borrowed an average of $85,946 in student loans for their education overall, compared with $82,361 among J.D. graduates and $36,523 among other graduate degree holders nationally.

AccessLex study participants distinguish themselves in the area of community well-being. Fifty-seven percent of these graduates are thriving in this element, higher than the 51 percent of J.D. holders, 51 percent of other graduate degree holders and 44 percent of bachelor’s degree holders nationally. This means AccessLex study participants are more engaged with the area where they live and are more likely to like where they live, to feel safe and to have pride in their community. Notably, Gallup did not observe this pattern more generally in the South when conducting its national study of college graduates, indicating that the difference in community well-being between AccessLex study participants and J.D. holders nationally is unique to this group and may not reflect a relationship between well-being and region.

$85,946*

On average, AccessLex study participants borrowed

in combined student loans. * June 2015 dollars

AccessLex study participants are also less likely to be thriving in purpose well-being and slightly less likely to be thriving in physical well-being compared with other graduate degree holders nationally, although they are on par with J.D. holders nationally in these well-being elements.

However, AccessLex study participants lag behind in financial well-being, with 45 percent of graduates thriving in this area, compared with 49 percent of J.D. holders and 51 percent of other graduate degree holders nationally.

Higher total student loan amounts among AccessLex study W E L L- B E I N G

13

ACCESSLEX STUDY PARTICIPANTS

J.D. HOLDERS NATIONALLY

OTHER GRADUATE DEGREE HOLDERS NATIONALLY

Less than $24,000 per year

4%

8%

13%

23%

$24,000-$89,999 per year

31%

33%

52%

51%

$90,000-$179,999 per year

31%

34%

21%

16%

$180,000 or more per year

27%

19%

7%

4%

Don't know

7%

6%

6%

6%

Figure 9 TOTAL ANNUAL PERSONAL INCOME, BEFORE TAXES

BACHELOR'S DEGREE HOLDERS NATIONALLY

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Figure 10 Â

ACCESSLEX STUDY PARTICIPANTS

J.D. HOLDERS NATIONALLY

OTHER GRADUATE DEGREE HOLDERS NATIONALLY

BACHELOR'S DEGREE HOLDERS NATIONALLY

PURPOSE WELL-BEING Thriving

55%

57%

63%

49%

Struggling

36%

36%

31%

41%

Suffering

9%

7%

6%

10%

SOCIAL WELL-BEING Thriving

55%

53%

56%

47%

Struggling

37%

39%

36%

41%

Suffering

8%

8%

8%

11%

FINANCIAL WELL-BEING Thriving

45%

49%

51%

41%

Struggling

35%

36%

34%

38%

Suffering

21%

15%

15%

21%

COMMUNITY WELL-BEING Thriving

57%

51%

51%

44%

Struggling

34%

37%

38%

41%

Suffering

10%

12%

11%

15%

PHYSICAL WELL-BEING Thriving

37%

36%

40%

32%

Struggling

53%

53%

52%

57%

Suffering

9%

11%

8%

11%

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

14

W E L L- B E I N G

Figure 12

Figure 11

PERCENT THRIVING BY NUMBER OF ELEMENTS Graduates thriving in ...

Elements

NUMBER OF ELEMENTS THRIVING IN WELL-BEING (among AccessLex study participants)

15% 15% 13%

YEAR OF GRADUATION 19701979

19801989

19901999

20002009

20102015

None

6%

10%

15%

17%

22%

One

8%

13%

18%

23%

24%

Two

13%

14%

20%

19%

21%

Three

18%

20%

19%

18%

16%

Four

26%

22%

18%

15%

11%

Five

30%

21%

12%

9%

5%

20%

Element 18% 16% 16% 20% AccessLex Study Participants

Elements 18% 20% 17% 18%

J.D. Holders Nationally Other Graduate Degree Holders Nationally

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Elements 18% 21%

Bachelor's Degree Holders Nationally

19% 17%

Elements 18% 15% 19% 14%

AccessLex study participants who graduated before 2000 are more likely to be thriving in each of the five elements of well-being, particularly financial well-being.

This relationship between age and thriving in each of the elements of well-being is consistent with patterns seen nationally for well-being among all U.S. adults.

Elements 14% 13% 15% 9%

Figure 13 FINANCIAL WELL-BEING (among AccessLex study participants)

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Lower levels of well-being among more recent graduates — those who earned their degree between 2000 and 2015 — may be at least partially explained by the higher levels of student loans among these students. Generally, higher levels of student debt link to lower well-being; 9 percent of AccessLex study participants with loans of over $50,000 are thriving in all five elements of well-being, compared with 21 percent with no student loans who are thriving in all five elements. Twenty-four percent of those with loans of up to $25,000 and 19 percent of those with $25,000-$50,000 of student debt are thriving in all five elements.

YEAR OF GRADUATION 19701979

19801989

19901999

20002009

20102015

Thriving

73%

54%

45%

37%

26%

Struggling

22%

33%

39%

38%

38%

Suffering

5%

13%

16%

25%

36%

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

W E L L- B E I N G

15

GREAT EXPERIENCES

ATTENDING LAW SCHOOL

Gallup explored the emotional connection law school graduates have with their alma mater by assessing the extent to which they agree that their law school was the perfect fit for them and that they could not imagine a world without it. Graduates who strongly agree with both statements are considered “emotionally attached” to their alma mater. In Gallup’s research with higher education institutions, graduates’ emotional attachment leads to greater involvement with their law program as alumni and increased donorship.

About a third (34 percent) of AccessLex study participants strongly agree that their law school was the perfect fit for them, while 15 percent strongly agree that they can’t imagine a world without their law school. This pattern of lower levels of agreement with the second of these statements is consistent with patterns observed for bachelor’s degree holders nationally. Based on answers to these two items, 14 percent of AccessLex study participants are emotionally attached to their law school. AccessLex study participants who graduated in earlier decades are more likely than recent graduates to be emotionally attached to their alma mater. Seventeen percent of graduates who obtained their degree from 1970-1979 are emotionally attached to

14%

of AccessLex study participants are emotionally attached to their alma mater.

Figure 15

EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED (among AccessLex study participants) 17%

Figure 14

14%

EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT (among AccessLex study participants) LAW SCHOOL was the perfect fit for me.

I can’t imagine a world without LAW SCHOOL.

21%

17%

Strongly disagree

27%

2

3

34%

17%

15%

4

Strongly agree

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding. “Don’t know” not shown.

16

AT T E N D I N G L A W S C H O O L

13% 11%

36%

19%

13%

19701979

19801989

19901999

Year of Graduation

20002009

20102015

their alma mater, compared with 11 percent of graduates who obtained their degree from 2010-2015.

If graduates strongly agree that their professors cared about them as a person, that they had at least one professor who made them excited about learning and that they had a mentor who encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams, their odds of being engaged at work more than double. These three items combine to form a metric that measures the emotional support graduates felt while at their law school. Gallup classifies graduates who strongly agree with all three of these items as having received emotional support during their law school experience.

12%

of AccessLex study participants felt supported while attending law school.

Twelve percent of AccessLex study participants strongly agree that they had each of the three support experiences while attending law school. In the national Gallup-Purdue Index study, Gallup asked all college graduates (including bachelor’s degree holders, J.D. holders and graduate degree national comparison groups) about these items as related to their undergraduate experience only. For this reason, direct comparisons cannot be made between these groups and AccessLex study participants. In some instances, comparisons between AccessLex study participants reporting about their law school experience and bachelor’s degree holders reporting about their undergraduate experience are included to provide context.

Twenty-seven percent of AccessLex study participants strongly agree that their professors at their law school

cared about them as people, and 18 percent strongly agree that they had a mentor who encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams while attending law school. These percentages are on par with what bachelor’s degree holders nationally report about their undergraduate experiences.

Figure 16

SUPPORT EXPERIENCES (among AccessLex study participants) My professors at LAW SCHOOL cared about me as a person.

I had at least one professor at LAW SCHOOL who made me excited about learning.

While attending LAW SCHOOL, I had a mentor who encouraged me to pursue my goals and dreams.

11%

6%

23%

34%

27%

25%

65% 36%

20%

22%

Strongly disagree

34%

21% 18% 27% 17% 2

3

4

18% 15% Strongly agree

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding. “Don’t know” not shown.

Around two-thirds (65 percent) of AccessLex study participants strongly agree that they had at least one professor who made them excited about learning.

Compared with graduates in 2000 or later, AccessLex study participants who obtained their law degree before 2000 were less likely to strongly agree that they had each of the three support experiences during law school. This pattern is consistent with levels of support reported among bachelor’s degree holders when evaluating their undergraduate institutions. This increase in graduates who felt supported while attending law school could be the result of changing practices in higher education institutions and/or greater

Figure 17

FELT SUPPORTED (among AccessLex study participants) 17%

12% 9%

9%

19701979

19801989

10%

19901999

20002009

20102015

Year of Graduation AT T E N D I N G L A W S C H O O L

17

ability to recall these experiences because more recent graduates’ law school experiences are fresher in their minds.

Two-thirds (66 percent) of AccessLex study participants who stated that they felt supported while attending law school had a good job waiting for them when they graduated. In contrast, only 36 percent of AccessLex study participants who were not supported while attending law school had a good job waiting for them, and 23 percent of those who were not supported took over a year to obtain a job.

Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of AccessLex study participants who felt emotionally supported while attending law school are currently engaged in their work, compared with 34 percent of those who did not feel emotionally supported during their law school experience.

The odds that employed AccessLex study participants are engaged in their jobs are two times higher if they had professors who cared about them as people, 1.3 times higher

if they had at least one professor who made them excited about learning and two times higher if they had a mentor who encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams.

If AccessLex study participants had all three emotional support experiences during law school, the odds that they are engaged in their current job are 2.5 times higher.

These support experiences in law school also continue to benefit AccessLex study participants’ well-being later in life.

The odds that AccessLex study participants are thriving in all five elements of well-being are 1.7 times higher if they had professors who cared about them as people, 1.2 times higher if they had at least one professor who made them excited about learning and 1.6 times higher if they had a mentor who encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams. If AccessLex study participants had all three emotional support experiences during law school, the odds that they are thriving in all five elements of well-being are 1.9 times higher.

The odds of AccessLex study participants being engaged at work are:

2.0x

higher if … My professors at LAW SCHOOL cared about me as a person.

2.0x

1.3x

higher if … I had at least one professor at LAW SCHOOL who made me excited about learning.

higher if … While attending LAW SCHOOL, I had a mentor who encouraged me to pursue my goals and dreams.

2.5x

higher if graduates had all three support experiences.

1.6x

higher if … I had an internship or job that

2.7x

higher if graduates had all three support experiences and an applied job or internship.

allowed me to apply what I was learning in the classroom.

The odds of AccessLex study participants thriving in all five elements of well-being are:

18

1.7x

higher if … My professors at LAW SCHOOL cared about me as a person.

1.6x

1.2x

higher if … I had at least one professor at LAW SCHOOL who made me excited about learning.

higher if … While attending LAW SCHOOL, I had a mentor who encouraged me to pursue my goals and dreams.

1.9x

higher if graduates had all three support experiences.

1.3x

higher if … I had an internship or job that

2.1x

higher if graduates had all three support experiences and an applied job or internship.

allowed me to apply what I was learning in the classroom.

AT T E N D I N G L A W S C H O O L

Figure 18

About how long did it take for you to obtain a good job after you completed your law degree at LAW SCHOOL? (among AccessLex study participants) YEAR OF GRADUATION 19601969

19701979

19801989

19901999

20002009

20102015

TOTAL

I had a job waiting for me when I graduated.

70%

66%

64%

56%

56%

38%

55%

Two months or less

14%

12%

10%

9%

8%

9%

9%

Three to six months

6%

9%

11%

12%

11%

15%

12%

Seven months to one year

2%

3%

5%

7%

8%

12%

7%

More than one year

2%

3%

6%

11%

13%

17%

11%

Not applicable, because I was not seeking employment upon graduation

5%

6%

3%

4%

3%

4%

4%

Don't know

2%

1%

1%

0%

1%

6%

2%

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Respondents were asked about how long it took for them to obtain what they perceive as a “good job” after they completed their law degree. About half (55 percent) of AccessLex study participants report that they had a good job waiting for them upon completing their law degree. In addition, 76 percent were able to obtain a good job within six months of graduating from law school.

Despite the high employment rate among AccessLex study participants — 72 percent are working full time for an employer — it appears that their initial entry into the job market is becoming more challenging over time, particularly with respect to finding a good job.

Though the vast majority of AccessLex study participants say they were able to obtain a good job within six months of graduation, recent graduates are less likely to report this. The percentage of AccessLex study participants who report that they had a good job awaiting them when they graduated from law school has decreased consistently over time, from a high of 70 percent among 1960-1969 graduates to a low of 38 percent among 2010-2015 law school graduates. The most dramatic decline between generations of graduates occurred in the last 15 years during the economic recession and recovery. Approximately half (56 percent) of graduates from 2000-2009 report that they had a good job waiting for them when they graduated, compared with 38 percent of graduates in the last five years who say the same. It took 17 percent of the most recent graduates, who graduated between 2010-2015, more than a year to find a good job — the highest percentage among all generations of graduates. Note: similar data is included in figure 20 by different graduation timeframes.

How helpful was the career services office at LAW SCHOOL to you in finding a job after you completed your law degree? (among AccessLex study participants)

Figure 19

YEAR OF GRADUATION 19601979

19801999

20002015

TOTAL

Very unhelpful

7%

11%

17%

13%

Unhelpful

8%

12%

15%

13%

Neither helpful/ unhelpful

31%

30%

23%

27%

Somewhat helpful

9%

16%

23%

18%

Very helpful

8%

11%

13%

11%

Don't know/ Does not apply

37%

20%

9%

18%

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Graduates who say they participated in a summer internship or clerkship in the legal field while enrolled in law school took less time to obtain a good job upon graduation from AT T E N D I N G L A W S C H O O L

19

Figure 20 About how long did it take for you to obtain a good job after you completed your law degree at LAW SCHOOL? (among AccessLex study participants)

1960-1979

1980-1999

2000-2015

TOTAL

I had a job waiting for me when I graduated.

67%

60%

48%

55%

Two months or less

12%

10%

8%

9%

Three to six months

7%

11%

13%

12%

Seven months to one year

3%

6%

9%

7%

More than one year

3%

9%

15%

11%

Not applicable, because I was not seeking employment upon graduation

6%

3%

4%

4%

Don't know

1%

1%

3%

2%

law school than those who did not have this experience.

In fact, 58 percent of those who report participating in a

who graduated before 2000. This could indicate that the difficulty recent graduates report in obtaining a good job

Twenty-nine percent of AccessLex study participants report that their career services office was very or somewhat helpful to them. However, nearly the same percentage of graduates (26 percent) report that the office was unhelpful or very unhelpful, indicating that experiences with career services offices vary among AccessLex study participants.

Figure 22

summer internship or clerkship say they had a good job waiting for them when they graduated, compared with 41 percent of those who did not have this experience.

after graduation is the result of economic conditions in the job market rather than a lack of institutional support in finding a job. Career services offices might have to re-evaluate how they support graduates, given the more challenging job market.

While attending law school, did you . . . (among AccessLex study participants) Participate in a summer internship or clerkship in the legal field?

YES 83%

Figure 21 Work in the legal field while enrolled in courses?

CAREER PREPARATION (among AccessLex study participants) LAW SCHOOL prepared me well for my career.

LAW SCHOOL is passionate about the long-term success of its students.

6% 14%

YES 55%

33%

44%

Hold a leadership position in an organization such as your law journal/law review or moot court/trial competitions?

YES 52%

11%

25%

28%

24% Conduct research with a professor or staff member?

Strongly disagree

2

3

4

Strongly agree

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

“Don’t know” not shown.

YES 33%

Work outside the legal field while enrolled in courses?

YES 28%

Interestingly, it appears perceptions of the helpfulness of career services offices have changed over time. AccessLex study participants’ ratings of their career services office are higher among recent graduates than among those

20

AT T E N D I N G L A W S C H O O L

Provide pro bono legal services beyond those required by LAW SCHOOL? YES 24%

Less than half (44 percent) of AccessLex study participants strongly agree that their law school prepared them well for their career. However, 77 percent agree or strongly agree that their law school prepared them well for their career, and only 9 percent disagree or strongly disagree.

Twenty-four percent strongly agree that their law school is passionate about the long-term success of its students.

AccessLex study participants who strongly agree that their law school prepared them well for their career were far more likely to report having a good job waiting for them when they graduated than were those who strongly disagree with that statement.

Recent graduates are less likely than those who graduated before 2000 to strongly agree that their law school prepared them well for their career. Only 35 percent of those who obtained their law degree from 2000-2015 strongly agree that their law school prepared them well for their career, compared with 48 percent of graduates who obtained their degree from 1980-1999 and 58 percent of graduates from 1960-1979. However, there is no difference in graduation timing of AccessLex study participants who strongly agree that their law school is passionate about the long-term success of its students: About a quarter of graduates during all years hold this perception.

The study also explores the relationship between several law school experiences and long-term employment outcomes (see Figure 23). Eighty-three percent of AccessLex study participants report participating in a summer internship or clerkship in the legal field while attending law school, and about half (55 percent) say they worked in the legal field while enrolled in courses.

There is a strong relationship between emotional support and law school experiences. For example, 17 percent of AccessLex study participants who provided extra pro bono services while enrolled in law school experienced support, compared with 10 percent who did not provide such additional services. Sixteen percent who had a leadership position while attending law school experienced support,

compared with 10 percent who did not. Twenty percent of AccessLex study participants who conducted research with a professor or staff member experienced support, compared with 8 percent of those who did not have this experience.

Figure 23

ACCESSLEX STUDY PARTICIPANTS WITH GOOD JOBS WAITING FOR THEM AFTER GRADUATION (by whether they had these law school experiences or not) Hold a leadership position in an organization such as your law journal/law review or moot court/trial competitions?

63%

Yes No

46%

Conduct research with a professor or staff member?

Yes

59% 53%

No

Participate in a summer internship or clerkship in the legal field?

58%

Yes No

41%

Work in the legal field while enrolled in courses?

54% 56%

Yes No

Provide pro bono legal services beyond those required by LAW SCHOOL?

53% 55%

Yes No

Work outside the legal field while enrolled in courses?

Yes No

49% 57%

Graduates who had leadership experiences, summer internships/clerkships in the legal field or research experiences while attending law school were far more likely than their peers to have a good job waiting for them when they graduated. In particular, AccessLex study participants who had leadership experiences or summer internships/ clerkships in the legal field were more likely to have a good job waiting for them when they graduated than were their peers who did not have these experiences.

Figure 24

APPLIED INTERNSHIPS OR JOBS (among AccessLex study participants) While attending LAW SCHOOL, I had an internship or job that allowed me to apply what I was learning in the classroom.

11%

11%

Strongly disagree

27%

2

3

43%

4

Strongly agree

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding. “Don’t know” not shown.

AT T E N D I N G L A W S C H O O L

21

Currently employed AccessLex study participants who had specific law school experiences are slightly more likely to be engaged at work, compared with their peers without those experiences. Specifically, 52 percent of employed AccessLex study participants who had leadership experiences in law school are engaged at work, which is higher than the 47 percent engaged among those who did not have leadership experiences. Fifty-two percent of those who provided pro bono services beyond those required by their law school are engaged at work, compared with 48 percent who did not. And 51 percent of those who worked in the legal field while enrolled in courses in law school are engaged at work, slightly higher than the 48 percent engaged among those who did not work in the legal field while enrolled.

classroom while in law school is associated with having a good job waiting for them when they graduated. Sixty-two percent of graduates who strongly agree that they had a job or internship that allowed them to apply what they were learning in the classroom report that they had a good job waiting for them when they graduated, which is significantly higher than the 44 percent of graduates who did not have this practical experience and had a good job waiting for them upon graduation. Nearly one in five graduates (17 percent) who do not recall having practical experiences while attending law school were still looking for a good job more than a year after graduating, compared with fewer than one in 10 graduates (7 percent) who had practical experience.

While many AccessLex study participants report having some kind of internship or work experience in the legal field, only 43 percent strongly agree that they had an internship or job that allowed them to apply what they were learning in the classroom during law school.

Academic achievement links to engagement at work.

AccessLex study participants who report finishing among the top 10 percent of their law school class are more likely to be engaged in their current work, with 54 percent currently engaged. Less than half of those who report that they were in the top 25 percent, top 33 percent or some other percentage of their class are currently engaged at work. However, receiving emotional support and having

Having an internship or job that allowed AccessLex study participants to apply what they were learning in the

Figure 25

About how long did it take for you to obtain a good job after you completed your law degree at LAW SCHOOL? (among AccessLex study participants) APPLIED JOB OR INTERNSHIP

NO APPLIED JOB OR INTERNSHIP

TOTAL

I had a job waiting for me when I graduated.

62%

44%

55%

Two months or less

9%

10%

9%

Three to six months

11%

12%

12%

Seven months to one year

6%

8%

7%

More than one year

7%

17%

11%

Not applicable, because I was not seeking employment upon graduation

3%

7%

4%

Don't know

2%

3%

2%

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

22

AT T E N D I N G L A W S C H O O L

a job or internship that allowed participants to apply what they were learning in the classroom are more strongly related to their current workplace engagement. Nearly three-fourths (73 percent) of AccessLex study participants who were emotionally supported and had an internship or job where they were able to apply what they were learning in the classroom are currently engaged in their workplace, compared with 29 percent of those who were not emotionally supported and missed out on this important practical experience.

Sixty percent of employed AccessLex study participants who had an internship or job that allowed them to apply what they were learning in the classroom during their law school experience are engaged in their job, compared with 41 percent of graduates did not have this experience.

The odds that employed AccessLex study participants are engaged at work are 1.6 times higher if they had these valuable practical experiences in law school. Furthermore, the odds of thriving in all five elements of well-being are 1.3 times higher if participants had these practical experiences.

The odds of being engaged at work are 2.7 times higher if AccessLex study participants were emotionally supported and participated in an applied job or internship. Seventythree percent of AccessLex study participants who were emotionally supported and strongly agree that they had an internship or job that allowed them to apply what they were learning in the classroom are engaged at work.

Meanwhile, graduates who were not supported and had no practical work experience are nearly seven times as likely to be actively disengaged in their jobs. Additionally, the odds that AccessLex study participants are thriving in all five elements of well-being are 2.1 times higher if they were emotionally supported and had an applied job or internship.

Figure 26 ENGAGEMENT IN THE WORKPLACE (among employed AccessLex study participants)

25%

Not Emotionally Supported and No Applied Job or Internship

29%

45% 4%

24%

73%

Emotionally Supported and Applied Job or Internship

ENGAGED

NOT ENGAGED

ACTIVELY DISENGAGED

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

AT T E N D I N G L A W S C H O O L

23

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

WAS LAW SCHOOL WORTH IT?

To assess the value of a law degree, Gallup asked AccessLex study participants if they would still get a law degree if they could go back and do it all over again, and whether they thought their law degree was worth the cost. A majority (67 percent) of AccessLex study participants strongly agree or agree that if they could go back and do it all over again, they would still get a law degree. Only 17 percent strongly disagree or disagree with this statement.

The percentage of graduates who strongly agree with this statement does not differ significantly among graduates who are currently practicing law versus those who are not currently practicing law. Nearly half of AccessLex study participants who are currently practicing law strongly agree with this statement, compared with 46 percent of those who are not currently practicing law.

Compared with those who obtained their law degree before 2000, AccessLex study participants who obtained their law degree between 2000 and 2015 are less likely to strongly agree that they would still get their law degree if they could do it all over again. Thirty-seven percent of recent graduates strongly agree, compared with 54 percent among those who graduated between 1980-1999 and 68 percent among those who graduated between 1960-1979. These results could reflect the lack of time more recent graduates have had to realize the value of their law degree or their greater difficulty in finding a good job after graduation.

24

WAS LAW S C H O O L WO RTH IT?

Figure 27

If I could go back and do it all over again, I would still get a law degree. (among AccessLex study participants) YEAR OF GRADUATION 19601979

19801999

20002015

TOTAL

Strongly agree

68%

54%

37%

48%

4

14%

20%

19%

19%

3

7%

11%

16%

12%

2

3%

7%

12%

9%

Strongly disagree

2%

6%

12%

8%

Don’t know

5%

2%

4%

4%

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Figure 28 My law degree from LAW SCHOOL was worth the cost. (among AccessLex study participants) YEAR OF GRADUATION 19601979

19801999

20002015

TOTAL

Strongly agree

75%

50%

20%

39%

4

19%

28%

25%

25%

3

4%

12%

22%

15%

2

1%

6%

17%

10%

Strongly disagree

1%

4%

15%

9%

Don't know

0%

1%

2%

1%

On average, AccessLex study participants borrowed

$70,582* in law school loans. * June 2015 dollars

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Thirty-nine percent of AccessLex study participants strongly agree that their law degree was worth the cost. As expected, AccessLex study participants are less likely to strongly agree that their law degree was worth the cost if they had higher amounts of law school loans. Approximately half (55 percent) of those without law school loans and 63 percent of graduates who borrowed up to $25,000 strongly agree that their law degree was worth the cost, compared with less than a quarter (23 percent) of those who borrowed more than $50,000 to obtain the degree.

Additionally, there is a positive relationship between the time since graduation and law graduates’ assessments of the worth of their degrees. Twenty percent of AccessLex study participants who graduated from 2000-2015 strongly agree that their degree was worth the cost, possibly because they have had less time to fully realize the value of their degrees.

Meanwhile, 75 percent of AccessLex study participants who received their degrees in the 1960s and 1970s strongly agree with this statement.

Figure 29 My law degree from LAW SCHOOL was worth the cost. (among AccessLex study participants, in June 2015 dollars) $0

$1 – $25,000

$25,001 – 50,000

$50,001 OR MORE

TOTAL

Strongly agree

55%

63%

57%

23%

39%

4

26%

24%

25%

25%

25%

3

10%

7%

10%

21%

15%

2

5%

2%

5%

16%

10%

Strongly disagree

3%

2%

2%

14%

9%

Don’t know

1%

1%

1%

2%

1%

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

WAS LAW S C H O O L WO RTH IT?

25

FINAL THOUGHTS Despite a challenging job climate, AccessLex study participants have been successful at finding work, even though more recent graduates have taken longer to find a good job after completing their law degree. The data from this study suggest that law schools need to re-evaluate how they can best assist job-seeking graduates in a more difficult job climate. Leading graduates to fulfilling jobs is crucial to attracting more applicants to J.D. programs, particularly at a time when law school applicants and enrollments are declining.

Even though recent graduates report that they had a harder time finding a good job before or shortly after graduation, the majority have been successful in finding work.

However, they are less likely than graduates from earlier years to be thriving in the area of financial well-being. According to research conducted by Frank McIntyre and Michael Simkovic, the value of a law degree declines by about $30,000 for those who graduate when unemployment is higher, compared with those who graduate when unemployment rates are low. These initial differences in earnings balance out after four years of graduation from law school. The results of this pilot study indicate that AccessLex study participants’ assessment of the worth of their law degree is positively linked to length of time since graduation from law school. Additionally, consistent with well-being patterns seen nationally among U.S. adults, older AccessLex study participants who graduated from law school in earlier decades are more likely to be thriving in each element of well-being compared with more recent graduates, particularly in the area of financial well-being.

Overall, the law school experience is a valuable one; nearly half of AccessLex study participants, including graduates who are not practicing law, strongly agree that they would go back and do it all over again. In particular, the experiences in law school that relate to higher engagement at work and better odds of finding a good job are emotional support, practical work experiences and experience in the legal field. Additionally, emotional support while attending law school and having a job or internship where they could apply what they were learning in the classroom during their law school experience also link to an increase in the odds of thriving in all five elements of well-being. As Lawrence S. Krieger and Kennon M. Sheldon write in their research about “What Makes Lawyers Happy,� the factors that generate the greatest attention, including money and status, are not the sole factors institutions and researchers should evaluate when determining the value of a law degree. The Gallup and AccessLex research serves as a first step in understanding institutional and other factors that most profoundly affect the quality of life among law school graduates.

26

METHODOLOGY Results for the AccessLex Institute study are based on Web surveys conducted July 21-Aug. 31, 2015, with a sample of 7,083 law school alumni from the following participating law schools: Campbell Law School, Elon Law, Mississippi College School of Law, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Shepard Broad School of Law, Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law, University of Richmond School of Law and Vanderbilt Law School. The participating law schools provided the sample of alumni email addresses. The study included alumni if the participating institutions had an email address on file for them.

Results for the Gallup-Purdue Index, the national study used for comparison purposes, are based on Web surveys conducted Dec. 16, 2014-June 29, 2015, with a random sample of 30,151 respondents with a bachelor’s degree or higher, 19,273 with a bachelor’s degree only, 10,049 with a graduate degree and 821 respondents with a J.D. degree, aged 18 and older, with Internet access, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

The Gallup-Purdue Index sample was recruited via the Gallup Daily tracking survey. The Gallup Daily tracking survey sample includes national adults with a minimum quota of 50 percent cellphone respondents and 50 percent landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.

Landline respondents are chosen at random within each household on the basis of which member had the most recent birthday. Gallup Daily tracking respondents with a college degree, who agreed to future contact, were invited to take the Gallup-Purdue Index survey online.

Gallup-Purdue Index interviews are conducted via the Web, in English only. Samples are weighted to correct for unequal selection probability and nonresponse. The data are weighted to match national demographics of gender, age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, education and region.

Demographic weighting targets are based on the most recent Current Population Survey figures for those aged 18 and older and who hold a U.S. bachelor’s degree or higher.

All reported margins of sampling error for the Gallup-Purdue Index of all college graduates include the computed design effects for weighting.

For results based on the total sample of those with a J.D. degree, the margin of sampling error is ±4.9 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

For results based on employee engagement of those with a J.D. degree, the margin of sampling error is ±6.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

For results based on the total sample of those with a bachelor’s degree, the margin of sampling error is ±1.0 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

For results based on employee engagement of those with a bachelor’s degree, the margin of sampling error is ±1.4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

For results based on the total sample of those with a graduate degree, the margin of sampling error is ±1.3 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

For results based on employee engagement of those with a graduate degree, the margin of sampling error is ±1.4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

To view the complete Gallup-Purdue Index report, visit http://www.gallup.com/services/185888/gallup-purdueindex-report-2015.aspx.

M E T H O D O LO GY

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APPENDIX Figure A1 YEAR OF GRADUATION

Are you currently practicing law? (among AccessLex study participants who are not retired)

19701979

19801989

19901999

20002009

20102015

TOTAL

Yes

86%

82%

85%

82%

77%

82%

No

14%

17%

15%

17%

22%

18%

Don't know

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

0%

Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding.

Figure A2 19601969

19701979

19801989

19901999

20002009

20102015

TOTAL

I am deeply interested in the work that I do.

62%

57%

54%

42%

34%

33%

42%

My job gives me the opportunity to do work that interests me.

64%

60%

56%

44%

36%

36%

44%

I have the ideal job for me.

55%

48%

41%

30%

24%

21%

31%

FULFILLMENT AT WORK (among employed AccessLex study participants)

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% STRONGLY AGREE YEAR OF GRADUATION

APPENDIX

ABOUT ACCESSLEX INSTITUTE

ABOUT GALLUP

AccessLex InstituteSM, in partnership with its nearly 200 nonprofit and state-affiliated ABA-approved Member law schools, has been committed to improving access to legal education and to maximizing the affordability and value of a law degree since 1983. The AccessLex Center for Legal Education ExcellenceSM advocates for policies that make legal education work better for students and society alike, and conducts research on the most critical issues facing legal education today. The AccessLex Center for Education and Financial CapabilitySM offers on-campus and online financial education programming and resources to help students confidently manage their finances on their way to achieving personal and professional success. AccessLex Institute is a nonprofit organization with offices in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., and field offices throughout the U.S.

Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems.

Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.

Learn more at AccessLex.org.

ABOUT HEALTHWAYS Healthways is an independent, global well-being company that provides comprehensive improvement solutions to increase performance and lower healthcare costs in its client populations. Dedicated to creating a healthier world one person at a time, Healthways uses the science of well-being and behavior change to produce and measure well-being improvement for its customers. Healthways provides personalized support to individuals to optimize each participant’s health and productivity and to reduce health-related costs, and also advises leaders on how to maximize well-being across an organization.

ABOUT

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